


primer

by bukkunmoonsin (bukkunkun)



Series: The X-Men AU No One Asked For [2]
Category: Heneral Luna (2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Mutants, Drama, Gen, M/M, War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-15
Updated: 2015-11-15
Packaged: 2018-05-01 17:44:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 941
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5214923
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bukkunkun/pseuds/bukkunmoonsin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“This war will escalate soon, won’t it?”</p>
            </blockquote>





	primer

**Author's Note:**

> [original post here](http://bukkun-moonsin.tumblr.com/post/131472174613/primer).

“This war will escalate soon, won’t it?”

The wind blew in from the windows, and translucent white curtains fluttered behind the Vice President’s chair. From where he sat, Aguinaldo thought the moonlight made the man beside him simply  _glow_ , and there, he thought, no _Mapalad_ had ever been as beautiful.

(Not even Gregorio, wearing that paralytic’s face, smiling a liar’s smile at him, and speaking words that sounded like needles and tasted like poison came close to the real deal.)

Mabini looked up from the paper he was writing to look right into Aguinaldo’s eyes, and he felt his gaze go right across him into his soul. He could feel the ghosting touch of the telepath’s mind against his own, and wholeheartedly opened his mind to let him in.

He kept some parts of his mind cordoned off—Bonifacio’s death. His love for—

“It will.” Mabini chose to speak this time, and not whisper directly into his soul, and somehow that made Aguinaldo miss the touch the man’s voice had in his mind. “Soon, the Spaniards will lose, Senyor Presidente, and we will have a new challenge to face.”

The Americans.

Aguinaldo swirled the whiskey in his glass, and sighed. “What do you suppose we do?”

Mabini set his quill down, and peered at him with placid eyes.

“Build an army.” He replied plainly. “And, perhaps, we can get ready for them.”

The two  _Mapalad_  stared at each other.

“Should we send in the humans?” he asked, and Mabini slowly shook his head.

“Involve the  _Mapalad_. This is our war as much as it is the humans’.”

Aguinaldo fell quiet at that, and he could feel Mabini’s gentle, but insistent press in his mind. “… Mabini.” He lowly rumbled, and the telepath held back at the shudder Aguinaldo made his seat do. “I understand your sentiments of equality, but we cannot risk hurting our  _Mapalad_  brethren in battle.”

“And risk casualties in the thousands and a war too many months past its welcome?”

At that, they fell silent once more, and Mabini’s stare was cold, and piercing.

It made his heart warm up all the more.

“… Very well.” He ceded, “But they should at least be given the higher ranks.”

Mabini regarded him for a moment, and he realised his presence in his mind was gone.

“… If that is the case.” He simply replied, and bowed his head.

That was the closest Aguinaldo was going to get to a vocal agreement with Mabini, and he sighed.

 _Thank you_ , he quietly whispered in his head, and he felt Mabini’s mind brush his in response.

“Do you have any suggestions as to who could be the leader, however?” the paralytic asked, and at that Aguinaldo smiled slightly.

“As a matter of fact, I do.” he replied. Mabini raised an eyebrow at him.

“Who?”

“You might know him, Mabini. His name is Antonio Luna.”

* * *

“General, I was just wondering—how is it that you can—”

“Duck!” came Rusca’s voice from somewhere, and Luna’s hand violently pushed Joven’s head down in time for debris and dirt to go flying over their heads.

Joven’s eyes were wide, and his hands were shaking, but Luna smirked at him.

“Yes, go on?” he prompted.

“Er—uh.” The young man was dazed, and the general patted his shoulder.

“Joven, dear boy, I really don’t think now is the time for interviews.” He said. “I will personally see to it you make it to the Red Cross tent safely, but for goodness’ sake, do learn to dodge.”

“I… I’ll try.”

And so, he and Luna began making their way through the battlefield behind barrels and walls.

It was the whistle of a flying cannonball that warned Joven of an incoming shot, and his brain shut down in panic. He dove forward, tackling the General forward with him, right towards an abandoned hut. Luna’s eyes widened in shock and panic, but when they phased right through the wall, safely landing into the hut in a pile on the floor, he simply looked down at Joven with delighted surprise.

“A-are you alright, General?”

“You’re a  _Mapalad_.” He breathed.

“U-uh, yes, that was really lucky, huh?” Joven stammered, but the man shook his head.

“No.  _Mapalad_. Powered. Blessed by God himself.” Luna grinned wildly. “Like me.”

“Wait, you’re…?” Joven gaped, and watched as right before his eyes, the cut on the General’s cheek closed shut by itself. “… Oh, my God.”

“So  _that’s_  why your editors sent you to cover my story.” The man grinned. “Very well, then, Joven. Welcome to my battalion, the squad of the Blessed.”

It was just like the rumours said, Joven realised, as Luna pulled him back up to his feet. Luna’s group—footsoldiers and ranked officials alike—was more  _Mapalad_ than human.

They were literally the epitome of what President Aguinaldo  _didn’t_  want of his army.

Luna gave him a wide grin, and gestured at the mess outside. “I hope you’re ready to get us out of here, Joven. I’ll be counting on your ability.”

“Wait—what?”

Luna pushed him out of the hut, laughing, and Joven scrambled to get the both of them to safety, wildly dodging through anything he could get through, his hand tightly clamped on Luna’s, all the while listening to the man’s raucous laughter.

When he and Joven phased right into the Red Cross tent, panting and high on adrenaline, the young man grinned, bewildered, as Luna introduced him to Doctora Isabel.

He could get used to this, he thought, and he shook her bloodied hand. Perhaps writing  Luna’s life would be a dangerous job, but it’d be the finest one he’ll ever have.


End file.
